Jenny Towell, 37, of Swale Avenue, Peterborough, pleaded guilty to arson reckless as to whether life was endangered and was jailed on Tuesday at Peterborough Crown Court.

On November 8 last year a home in Swale Avenue had some burning paper put through the door at about 11pm. The occupants managed to put the fire out and called police the following day.

Crime scene investigators recovered fingerprints from the letterbox and the burned remains.

Towell was arrested and charged for another two arsons, which were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service but her fingerprints matched those at Swale Avenue.

Detective Inspector Gary Etherington said: “Towell did not think about the consequences of her actions and could have seriously injured other people who were in the property.

“She has caused a huge amount of community tension and I hope this case shows how seriously such behaviour is taken by the police and the fire service.”

Martin Boome, Arson Liaison Officer at Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Arson with intent is very serious, targeting and putting at risk the lives of innocent members of the public with no thought of the consequences.

“The service worked closely with police and instigated joint action plans to combat arson issues in Peterborough. It is thanks to partnership working with not just police but the whole community that this result has been achieved.”